


Day 14: Tear-Stained

by Aelaer



Series: Whumptober 2019 [14]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Agony, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Heavy Angst, Hurt Stephen Strange, Needles, Torture, Whump, Whumptober 2019, You know what I mean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-12-28 21:23:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21143429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aelaer/pseuds/Aelaer
Summary: He briefly closed his eyes as hopelessness took a grip upon his heart, realizing just what he was surely going to suffer with his oath to protect both the Time Stone and Earth. Stephen quickly pushed the feeling inward and tapped into his reserve of endurance for what was to come.





	Day 14: Tear-Stained

**Author's Note:**

> I bounced around with what I should do with this one as there really are so many ways this prompt could be done. I went with the completely self-indulgent route.
> 
> A "what if Tony and Peter were a bit delayed rescuing Stephen" fic has been written before, but now I'm writing it because Ebony Maw was wasted in the films and I just need more of him. He's such a magnificent creeper. And the setting in the donut ship has been tweaked to make this more plausible. Definitely was inspired, idea-wise, by amethyst-noir's couple of takes/AUs on the scene.

Stephen regained consciousness to find himself suspended horizontally in midair within a nearly bare room made of metal. The only light source seemed to be coming from above him, for his shadow was stark against the grey floor and the rest of the room beyond was currently pitch black to his weary eyes. He could see no one, but that did not mean no one could see him. Still, he was not a man to passively accept a bad situation; Stephen could feel the powers keeping him held up and while he was uncertain of their source, he pushed back against them, willing his arms, his hands to obey his commands again and do _something_.

"You will find struggling a pointless endeavour," a calm voice spoke from the shadows ahead of him. Stephen stilled and looked towards the direction it came from, and he did not need to wait long. From the darkness emerged the tall, lean figure of the telekinetic alien. One of the Children of Thanos, as he had dubbed himself.

A cold wave of terror engulfed him as he realised just how completely and utterly fucked he was. He was alone in what he presumed was the spaceship, far away from any type of allies, and assuredly the number one focus of this alien due to the Time Stone still around his neck. Well, at least _that_ spell was resisting the efforts of this Child of Thanos.

He briefly closed his eyes as hopelessness took a grip upon his heart, realizing just what he was surely going to suffer with his oath to protect both the Time Stone and Earth. Stephen quickly pushed the feeling inward and tapped into his reserve of endurance for what was to come. He knew pain, he knew pain very well. And if he died? Well, it wouldn't be the first time, and it would have the added benefit of sealing away the Time Stone; breaking a dead man's spell would take a power that Thanos may have with the other Infinity Stones, but certainly not the knowledge of the arcane arts required alongside it.

It wasn't much, but Stephen held onto that thought even as the creature finished crossing the distance until he was but two feet in front of him. "You will save yourself from great suffering if you stop delaying the inevitable, Stone-keeper. I will have the Time Stone by the end of this; it is your choice as to how difficult this will be for you."

Stephen let his silence speak for him.

The slightest of smiles curled at the corner of the alien's lips. "Very well." He waved a hand towards the corner behind him, well beyond his sight, but it wasn't long before long, wicked needles came to view and surrounded his vision. They were all aimed at him. "Then we will begin."

* * *

Another scream tore its way out of Stephen's throat as yet another long needle pierced his head. Perhaps they were coated in some sort of irritant, perhaps it was just another type of technology or magic, but every single one of the needles burned, sending endless signals of pain to his brain that renewed themselves every time the alien tweaked or twisted one of his instruments of torture.

Beyond his bleary eyesight, however, his tormentor did not seem pleased. Stephen had lost all concept of time the moment the first needle pierced his skin, but from what he could tell, the alien seemed to be expecting something that was not happening.

Good.

A sixth needle was applied to his skull and he choked on another cry. His eyes were starting to water, but he quickly blinked the moisture away. It was terrible, excruciating, but it was not worse than anything he had suffered from Dormammu. The alien needed him alive, and that limited him in options; the Lord of the Dark Dimension had lacked that limitation.

He could endure this.

Some time later (goodness knows how long), all six needles were extracted from his face in a quick movement that ached, but it was nothing like their initial penetration. He focused his gaze upon the creature in front of him, who was looking at him as if he were something of a puzzle.

His torturer said nothing, but Stephen suddenly felt the trickle of something entering his mind, prodding at its defenses, and he immediately reinforced his wall around the most vital information he held, including all knowledge about the spell protecting the Eye of Agamotto. He did not have the strength to keep out all intrusion, however, and let the outermost wall of the defenses upon his mind be broken while all remaining strength he had kept up the walls deeper within.

However, the attack upon his mind barely tested the first of the inner walls before withdrawing, and when Stephen came to his senses again, the alien wore a strange look that he could not immediately place. He lifted two fingers and Stephen felt his body slowly tilt to a vertical position, the needles following his movement.

The creature began to circle Stephen as he repositioned him. "I admit I have had very few dealings with Terran before, but there are enough similar peoples within the universe to generate a broad understanding of your species. I know enough to see that you are a very singular person, Doctor."

He startled at the title, and then saw the alien was now in his peripheral vision. The creature moved some of the needles aside to step close to the left side of his now-vertical body, then reached over and settled his long-fingered hand upon his right shoulder. Stephen stiffened at the touch. "You have practiced your craft for so little time. If you had longer, you may even prove formidable. Your world has chosen its Stone-keeper well."

The hand slid from his shoulder to his neck and cupped his chin, then tilted his head up gently. He whispered into his left ear, "But the Ebony Maw is not known as the greatest of Thanos's interrogators for naught. And every being has a weakness." The alien— this Ebony Maw— slid his left hand down Stephen's left arm until he was stroking the scars upon his hand. "And I, Doctor, have found yours."

He hardly had time to process his words before needles, multiple needles were entering his hands, and the pain completely overwhelmed the rest of his senses. While the sensation of the needles upon his head were bad, this was on a whole new level of suffering that utterly consumed his body, mind, and soul. Sound was muffled and ringing, sight was impossible, blood filled his mouth and overtook all scents, and on top of it all was the knowledge that the only true feeling within his world was an all-encompassing agony.

Stephen could not say how long he was in this state of being. When he began to regain his lost senses as the shock of pain began to wear into a constant, he first found that his inner throat was sore and felt used, as if he had been speaking for a long length of time— screaming. The ringing noise was from the screaming.

Despite the soreness, he heard a strangled sob make its way out of him, which is when he realized that he was crying and, somewhat alarmingly, could not stop; the pain was too great.

He dare not look down at his hands; while he had recovered some sense of presence, he could still feel the intrusive instruments sticking within him. They were stagnant now, simply releasing steady waves of pain that travelled through his hands, up his arms and to his very core, but he was certain that if any of them were touched, or any further needles placed, he would lose focus on the rest of the world again.

With one arm still over his shoulder, Ebony Maw's right hand travelled upward, past his chin, to carefully wipe away one of his tear tracks with his thumb. Stephen shuddered. "Consider your position carefully, Doctor. This need not go further."

Stray tears brushed down his cheeks as he closed his eyes and remained quiet. The silence sat for a moment further, and then his world was a whitewash of nothing but suffering.

**Author's Note:**

> This was totally inspired by how creepy Ebony Maw was when he took over Doctor Strange's mind in the 2013 Infinity run. He was way up in his personal space.


End file.
